Kim Il-Sung
Kim Il-Sung (김일성); (15 April 1912 – 8 July 1994)- was the founding father and supreme leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, reigning from the inauguration of the state until his death in 1994. Posthumously, he holds the title as the Eternal President of North Korea. Kim Il-Sung was born in Japanese occupied Korea into a middle class background. He would later join the Communist Party of China and then serve as a captain in the Soviet Army, fighting against Japan at the end World War II. Following the division of Korea, Kim and his faction were chosen to lead the new soviet created state in the North of Korea, which was established as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in 1948. In 1950, Kim attempted to conquer South Korea in an effort which lead to the Korean war, ending unsuccessfully with a ceasefire in 1953. After the war, Kim proceeded to rebuild the country and created a soviet command style economy and a state which encompassed maximum control over Society. He eliminated his rivals and established a cult of personality around himself, ideologically deviating from Marxism-Leninism with the creation of the Juche ideology; exploiting the Sino-Soviet split to his own diplomatic and strategic advantage, whilst engaging in repeated provocations against South Korea. Kim moved to install his own son, Kim Jong-Il as his successor in 1980. As the Cold War drew to a close, Kim's state suffered and with the demise of the USSR, North Korea's economy completely collapsed, descending into poverty and famine. Kim nonetheless continued to hold power and died of a heart attack in 1994. The cult of personality Kim built remains to the present day, he is revered and honoured as the father of the nation; his birthday is a national holiday. His body lays preserved in a state of rest in the Kumusan Palace of the Sun. Early Life Kim Il-Sung, initially born as Kim-Song-JuLankov, The Real North Korea:Life and Politics in the Failed Stalinist Utopia, 2013, (Oxford:Oxford University Press) was born April 15th, 1912Lankov, The Real North Korea:Life and Politics in the Failed Stalinist Utopia, 2013, (Oxford:Oxford University Press) (the day the titantic sank). He was born into a "moderately affluent family" with an above average income and an access to educationLankov, The Real North Korea:Life and Politics in the Failed Stalinist Utopia, 2013, (Oxford:Oxford University Press). His father was a teacher and Christian activist.Lankov, The Real North Korea:Life and Politics in the Failed Stalinist Utopia, 2013, (Oxford:Oxford University Press). The young kim was able to attend high-school, an impressive level of education for a Korean of that eraLankov, The Real North Korea:Life and Politics in the Failed Stalinist Utopia, 2013, (Oxford:Oxford University Press) pg.21. In 1920, his family moved to North East China where he spent the remainder of his childhoodLankov, The Real North Korea:Life and Politics in the Failed Stalinist Utopia, 2013, (Oxford:Oxford University Press) In the 1930s Kim joined the Communist Party of China and assisted guerillas resisting the Japanese occupation of ManchuriaLankov, The Real North Korea:Life and Politics in the Failed Stalinist Utopia, 2013, (Oxford:Oxford University Press). The official North Korean narrative insists that he created his own army at the age of 20, independent of foreign assistanceLankov, The Real North Korea:Life and Politics in the Failed Stalinist Utopia, 2013, (Oxford:Oxford University Press) Soviet Army Rise to Power Korean War Consolidation of Power Later Years Death References Category:People Category:Leaders